Extended-load danger signal for vehicles



AprilZS, 1925. w j F. M. MCLEMORE EXTENDED LOAD DANGER SIGNAL Eon 'VE'HIC LES FilfEfJan. 29, 1924 i @W 11 i li e -tented Aprr 28, 1925.

UNITED STATES :OF-EIC E.

FREDERICK lVL IMGLEMOR-E, OF LOS;ANGELES, CALIFORNIA, ASSIGNOR, BY MESNE AS- SIGNIvIENTS TO L. L. HOLLISTER, OF LQS .ANGELES, CALIFORNIA.

EXTENDED-LOAD DANGER SIGNAL FOR VEHICLES.

Application filedt'anuary 29, 1924, Serial N0. 689,252.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that l, FREDERICK M, Mo- LEMORE, a citizen of the United States, residing at Los Angeles, in the county of Los Angeles and State of California, have invented certain new .and useful Improvements in Extended-Load Danger Signals for Vehicles, of which the following ,is a specification.

My invention relates generally to signallingdevices and more particularlyto a danger signal that is adapted to begapplied to the extended or projecting portion of the load of 'a vehicle. p

The principal objectof my invention is to provide a relatively simple,practical and effective danger signal that may be easily and quickly applied to, or removed from vehicle or its extended load and which .will meet all provisions and requirements of the various State lawsand city ordinances .relating to the application of danger signals to the abnormally projecting portions of the loads of vehicles.

Further objects of my invention are, to provide a danger signal of the character described that is practically indestructable under ordinary usage; to provide a signal, which, when properly applied for use, will readily swing and rotate while the vehicle is in motion, thereby tending to attract the attention of the drivers of approaching vehicles, and, further, to provide an extended load danger signal that will be plainly visible from all angles, laterally and reau wardly of the vehicle to which it is applied and which signal will be effective at night and "in damp or rainy weather.

lVith the foregoing and other objects in view, my invention consists in certain novel features of construction and arrangement of parts that will be hereinafter more fully described and claimed and illustrated in the accompanying drawings in which:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a danger signal of my improved construction applied to the extended portion of a vehicle load.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged vertical section taken through the upper central portion of the signal and showing the electrical connections therein.

Fig. 3 is a horizontal section taken on the line 33 of Fig. 1.

In the construction of my improved signal, the main body thereof is constructed ofthreeornnore plates 10,,of suitable sheet metal ,andof any desired sizeandshape.

Forall practical purposes, I prefer to fornrthebody,ofthe signal from three substantially semicircular plates, arranged vertically, at approximately 120 degrees apart and the straight edges ofsaid plates meeting at the vertical ,center or axis of the body. a

A portion of eachplate rat the center of the straight verticaledge thereof is, cut away in semicircular form, so as to provide, at the center of the body, a circular opening 11, {EOI the accommodation of an electric lamp L, the bulb ofwhich .is coloredred.

The faces of allof the plates '10 areocd in ,color and appearing on each, ofthe three sides ,of the ,body is {the word Danger, each word being formed by arranging the letters Dan on one face ofeach ,plate to the side of the opening 11 and the :letters fgerwonthe reverse sideofthe plate to the si deof-the central opening.

Arranged between the inner edges of the plates 10 and abovethe opening is a tubular member 12, the ends ,of .which are notched or slotted so as :to provide sockets that re.- ceive at their upper end, an electric plug P and at the lower end, the base of lamp L.

The contact members on plug P and the base of lamp L are adapted to engage spring-pressed contact pins 13 that are arranged in blocks 14 of insulation and the latter being seated in the end portions of tube 12. These pins 13 are electrically connected by suitable connections 15, that extend lengthwise within tube 12.

A flexible member, preferably a chain 16 is used for attaching the signal to the projecting or extended portion of the load and the lower end of this chain may be connected by branch chains 17, to the upper ends of plates 10, as illustrated in Fig. 1 or said chain may be secured to a loop such as 18 that is rigidly fixed to the upper end of tube 12 (see Fig. 2).

When my improved signal is secured to and suspended from the projecting portion of a vehicle load, it will swing freely in all directions, thereby warning the drivers of approaching vehicles of the proximity of a source of possible danger.

The efliciency of the device is enhanced by reason of the fact that the plates 10 are colored red and they bear on their threesides the word Danger and which word of warning may be seen from any angle to the rear or laterally of the equipped vehicle.

During the hours of daylight, the plug P is removed from the socket at the upper end of the tube 12, thereby permitting the sig nal to rotate freely in both directions, simultaneously with its swinging movements, but at night, said plug is inserted in its socket to complete the circuit from a battery to lamp L, thereby producing a red lightthat serves as an effective danger signal.

If desired, the plates 10 may be formed with angular outer edges, instead of curved, as illustrated and, in some instances, it may be found desirable to increase the number of plates fron'i three to four or live.

Thus it will be seen that I have provided an extended load danger signal that is of relatively simple structure, capable of being easily and cheaply produced and which is very effective in performing its functions.

Obviously, minor changes in the size, form and construction of the various parts of my improved danger signal may be made and substituted for those herein described without departing from the spirit of the invention, the scope of which is set forth in the appended claims.

I claim as my invention:

1. In an extended load danger signal, a plurality of radially arranged connected plates that are colored red, each pair of the adjacent faces of said plates bearing the word Danger a flexible member for suspending said signal from a support whereby said signal may rotate and swing freely in all directions.

2. In an extended load danger signal, a plurality of radially arranged connected plates that are colored red, each pair of the adjacent faces of said plates bearing the word Danger and a red lamp arranged in the center of said signal.

3. In an extended load danger signal, a plurality of radially arranged connected plates that are colored red, each pair of the adjacent faces of said plates bearing the word Danger, a flexible member for suspending said signal from a support whereby said signal may rotate and swing freely in all directions and a red lamp carried by said signal.

4. An extended load danger signal com prising a plurality of radially arranged connected plates, the inner edges of said plates being cut away to form a substantially circular opening, a signal lamp arranged in said opening and a flexible mem ber secured to the upper portion of said plates for suspending said signal from a support whereby said signal may rotate and swing freely in all directions.

5. An extended load danger signal comprising a signal suspending member of flexible material and a signal body loosely connected to one end of said suspending member and comprising a series of radially disposed plates connected at their inner edges, and portions of the inner edges of said plates being cut away to form an opening and an electric lamp mounted on the body of the signal and disposed within said opening.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature.

FREDERICK M. MCLEMORE. 

